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Xbox 360 primarily used for gaming, PS3 used mostly for media

With a rapidly growing number of non-gaming apps on Xbox Live, Microsoft has cultivated an image that it is the entertainment console of choice. However, a new report from Nielsen shows that PlayStation gamers are more likely to stream media than their Xbox counterparts.

With a rapidly growing number of non-gaming apps on Xbox Live, Microsoft has cultivated an image that it is the entertainment console of choice. However, a new report from Nielsen shows that PlayStation gamers are more likely to stream media than their Xbox counterparts.

In fact, PS3 owners are more likely to watch movies or use the internet than actually play games on their console. Game playing only makes up 46% of the time spent on Sony's box, while the remaining 54% is spent watching movies, listening to music, and more.

In comparison, Xbox 360 owners spend two-thirds of their time gaming on their console, split evenly between online and offline gaming.

Nielsen's report doesn't offer any reason for the discrepancy. One explanation could be the requirement of a paid Xbox Live Gold subscription to access many of the media features offered on Xbox 360. PS3, on the other hand, has no additional paywall to access streaming services like Netflix and YouTube.

Still, these figures are surprising given Sony and Microsoft's positioning of their next-gen consoles. PS4 is being targeted heavily at core gamers, while Microsoft has been keen on making its next Xbox less of a games machine, and more of a general entertainment device.